„Frank Out!“ is one of the two successor bands of "Sheik Yerbouti" from Hessen/Rheinland Pfalz. "No one gets closer to Zappa than Sheik Yerbouti ", was the verdict of the Rhein-Zeitung from Mainz at the time.

Last year the Grandsheiks (the remains of the original Sheik Yerbouti enforced by wonderful musicians) were on stage at the Zappanale. This year the other half of the Sheiks (Thomas Jung, Harry Sebel and „Sweet“ Georg Rademacher) will be there. Under the name “Frank Out!”. They will be supported by the Sheik Yerbouti founding member Kai Rotfuchs, the former Sheik Marco Steffen and bassist Jürgen Kochler from the Hunsrück.

They are looking forward to “performing a firework of Zappa classics, stomping Rock songs and wild Jazz improvisations” and with the voice of Harry Sebel they will make the Zappa fans dream.

But Frank Out! will already be in the starting blocks earlier. They have developed the musical program of the concert on Wednesday in Hamburg together with Robert Martin, and will be on stage there together with Albert Wing for the first time. So Albert Wing will join the list of alumni guest musicians of SheikYerbouti/FrankOut!, which already includes Robert Martin, Denny Walley, Ed Mann, Mike Keneally and Napoleon Murphy Brock.

You missed him? So did we! Without him the Zappanales somehow would be…

Well, here you go: He´s back!

On August 8th, 1973, Frank Zappa was alerted by his road manager, Marty Perellis, that an incredible band with an extraordinary lead singer was performing downtown to a standing room only audience … and that it might be wise that he come and see this for himself. When Zappa went to the club and watched the show, he saw a young talent sing, dance, play sax, flute and keyboards, in a manner that clearly made it appear that he was having more fun than even the other patrons in the club.

After two hours of observing and listening to this young man and his very disciplined band of musicians, he introduced himself as Frank Zappa, and the young man introduced himself as Napoleon Murphy Brock. The next words out of Zappa’s mouth were, “You are my new lead vocalist.”

This singer and saxophone player still is connected tightly to the music of Frank Zappa, in particular due to the incredibly diverse compositions that Zappa has written to accommodate the large volume of vocal talent and stage presence that NMB possesses. He is the only member of the last formation of the Mothers of Invention, where he collaborated with Zappa on four compositions: “DUMMY UP”, “THE BOOGER MAN”, “THE ROOM SERVICE RAP” und “IT'S ALL RIGHT” – the last funky Blues song on ROXY AND ELSEWHERE. Together with the French band The Peach Noise Experiment, NMB will perform the more difficult pieces that Zappa wrote since the 70's and of course other favorites from the complete works of Zappa.

In the first decade of the new century he participated at shows of Dweezil’s first Zappa Plays Zappa Tour, where Steve Vai (Guitar) und Terry Bozzio (Drums) also joined. In 2009, both Napoleon and Steve Vai each won a Grammy for their performance of the title “Peaches en Regalia”, which first appeared in 1969 on Zappa's album “Hot Rats”.

In recent years, Napoleon Murphy Brock toured with the Grandmothers of Invention as well as with many highly acclaimed Zappa tribute bands. He was even chosen to act as lead singer, frontman and choreographer for the George Duke Funk/Jazz Ensemble - which included the world-famous Latin percussionist Sheila E - with whom he also toured and recorded eight successful albums.

Currently Napoleon is performing solo, nevertheless he is touring and performing to let the brilliance of Frank Zappa’s music from the 70s live on, where he was directly involved. He calls it: Total Music Theatre.

It can also be regarded as an honor that some of the recent publications of the ZFT, are focussing on his participation: FZ/OZ, JOE'S CAMOUFLAGE - a tour rehearsal CD with participation of Napoleon on keyboards and alto sax - and the video releases, now in digital form, of A TOKEN OF MY EXTREME, and finally ROXY BY PROXY.

He is accompanied by the high-energy Zappa tribute band from France, The Peach Noise Experiment Napoleon has chosen because they understand his own way to interpret the music. “It's everything to do with theater, it's all about the fans, it's all about THE SHOW”.

According to Napoleon, what you will see and hear now in the Zappanale #26, is the closest to the magical energy of the 70's Mothers of Invention, with the former line-up: Frank Zappa, George Duke, Ruth Underwood, Chester Thompson, Ralph Humphrey, Tom Fowler, Bruce Fowler, and Napoleon Murphy Brock. THAT'S RIGHT, HE'S BACK!!!

Daniel Denis, drummer and composer, and the only constand member of the belgium R.I.O. band Univers Zero, came into contact with music already on the playground. He was playing with tin drums which his parents gave him as a gift. When Daniel was 11 years old, one of his elder brothers bought a drum kit and Daniel learned while watching his brother's play. He had his first "gig" when he was 14 and played the drums on 2 songs with the band of his brother. But only in 1967 he got really interested, when the music of Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, The Nice, Syd Barrett and Cream turned up. His favorite was Mitch Mitchell, Hendrix´ drummer.

Daniel and Claude Deron asked Roger Trigaux and Guy Segers if they were interested in forming a band. Enthusiastically they joined in. In 1973 they called themselves "Necronomicon", but in 1974 Univers Zero was born.

Univers Zero released the first record in 1977. "1313" became the first chapter of a new rock music. Up to 15 minutes long bassoon, violin, bass, guitar and drums were dictating a new aggressiv expression of gothic, new classic and gloomy but sensible sound of rock music.

It's hard to assign these from classical music inspired compositions to a special genre of rock music. Up to now Univers Zero is not only seen as a Rock in Opposition band but also with their own style: New Chamber Rock. Meanwhile a kind of easiness also sneaked in. Elements of folk and New Music are meeting in a rock context which is more cheerful, grown-up and easier than ever.

"Since we first played with IKE WILLIS, at Zappanale in 2010, a lot happened with ZAPPATiKA. We changed various band members, we played lots of different shows all over Europe, and, of course, we learned a huge amount from wonderful musicians like Ike Willis and Jeff Hollie. We are so happy that we can now bring this very special "Joe's garage" show to Bad Doberan and that this show will bring Ike Willis, Ed Mann, Denny Walley, Jeff Hollie, Craig "Twister" Steward and maybe even more alumni from that album all on stage together! It will be a joy for the fans to hear those songs with the original Sax, Harmonica, Slide Guitar and, of course, the voice of Joe - Mr. Ike Willis !"

Zap Mcinnes (ZAPPATiKA)

music 4 the mindful minority!

By the end of the 90's ZAPPATiKA was founded by the Celt Mcinnes (vocals, guitar) and the Dutch-Indonesian Batta-Tutti (drums) with the objective of giving themselves over to Frank Zappa's music. It is rumored that when they were listening to some Zappa pieces, in a small room with several electric instruments as well with some bottles of wine and strange green cigarettes, they took their instruments and started playing zappaesque nonsense.

In the first instance they recruited the rhythm guitar player and singer Zomby Woof and percussionist and singer Bongo Fury. Later bassist The Kid and keyboarder Doctor Lau joined in.

Meanwhile they became a fantastic live band, performing on European festival stages with an extensive repertoire of Zappa titles and a lot of own compositions. Although their show is peppered with some strange and funny moments (wait and see!) they don't get lost in fooling about. In fact their respectable claim can be seen especially in the complex and excessive instrumental passages.

But all in all interpretations of Uncle Frankie's works are always disputatious. When modern samples and dance rhythms are linked with disco-like bass play and fat beats it can be a cultural shock. But that's nothing unusual for Zappanale, hm?